


How This All Began

by TheOtherAlya



Series: Mattie and Adonis [1]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Adonis is a shadow, Beginning of a reationship, Boys In Love, Creepy Fluff, He's creepy but he gets better, M/M, Maybe related to Lucifer?, Minor Stalking?, Rating May Change, Romance, Soft Boys, This is a soft M, mention of USUK, mentions of other countries, so cute it hurts, surprisingly healthy relationship later on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-14
Updated: 2018-04-21
Packaged: 2019-04-22 20:09:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,895
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14316237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheOtherAlya/pseuds/TheOtherAlya
Summary: He hadn't expected to fall for someone who was essentially stalking him, let alone the literal embodiment of fear and terror of the dark and shadows. But as time passes and they spend more time together, he can't stop those butterflies.*Warning, there is a description of being cornered in dark rooms and being watched without knowing, so please, if that bothers or triggers you, proceed with caution.*So this turned out to be a collection of firsts and way softer than intended? But whatever. It's self-indulgent fluff, fight me.





	1. The First Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! This is the first time I've ever really posted fanfiction, so I hope that you all like it! This is based on an RP with my writing partner. Adonis belongs to her. I'm just borrowing him. This will be a part of a series of fics based around so many (so so many) characters, both from different works and of our own. Enjoy!

When he looked back on that day years later, he could have laughed at how silly all of it was. Here he was, a country that, though often forgotten about, was well-loved and decently powerful in the grand scheme of things, and he was afraid of a shadow.

It was after a particularly long and annoying world meeting that it first happened. For a while, people had mentioned that his house was oddly dark and occasionally he thought he saw things out of the corner of his eye, but he shrugged it off. Alfred had mentioned things like that when he had watched a scary movie or played a horror game with Kiku, and he knew that Arthur saw things that weren’t really there all the time, so he had figured it was sort of a “family” thing. (He was still uncertain how he felt related to Arthur. Clearly Francis was a sort of father to him, and he liked having that sort of relationship with him though they didn’t seem to be very far from each other in age, but with Arthur and his interest in Alfred… It was a little weird.) To see something that was probably a trick of the light or the shadow of a tree was common. And avoiding any sort of real darkness outside of sleeping was easy enough too.

However, today, Alfred locked him in the closet.

It had been an accident, that was certain enough. Matthew had gone to get some of the holiday decorations from the supply closet when his brother passed, knocking the door shut and flipping off the light. All at once, the darkness surrounded him.

“Come on, come on, come on,” he begged, harshly shaking the doorknob as though that would release the lock. “Alfred!” He began pounding on the wood, shouting for his brother. He wasn’t claustrophobic, nor was he truly afraid of the dark, but at that moment, he swore he could feel warm breath on his neck.

“So, I finally have you alone.”

He let out a sound that was embarrassingly close to a squeak, whirling around to face whatever it was that had just purred into his ear. There was nothing behind him but darkness. “H-hello?” He reached out, trying to feel for whoever or whatever it was in the darkness. He had been certain he was the only one in the closet when the door shut, but he wouldn’t put it past some of the more mischievous countries to hide behind something to scare him. Silhouettes of shelves and brooms stood out an ever-so-slightly lighter grey than the darkness around them, but still no humanoid figure. “Who… who’s there?” His tongue felt thick and clumsy in his mouth as terror gripped his heart.

Again, he felt that warm breath against his ear. “Are you afraid?”

He could feel the terror rolling off of him in waves. “N-no…”

A dark laugh. “Liar.”

He stiffened defensively. “I-I am not! And y-you’re the one who seems af-fraid!”

The air around him grew heavy with tension, though he couldn’t tell if it was his own or the person that still refused to show himself. “Oh really? How so?” As the deep voice drifted into his ear, he swore he could feel something like a nail or a claw trailing down his neck. “You’re the one who’s trembling… Your heart is nearly beating out of your chest.” A hand pressed to the place above his heart. He unconsciously grabbed the hand, his fingers tracing over the larger, but still very human shape. So, he was dealing with something that at least felt human. He couldn’t tell if it was a relief or not. Either way, he seemed to realize what he had done and released the man, trembling as he tried to back away, only to have his back hit the door.

“Y-you won’t… You won’t show yourself… Seems p-pretty cowardly to m-me…” He struggled to get the words out, his eyes still searching the darkness.

“Fine.” A figure seemed to materialize out of the shadows in front of him, standing just a tad too close for comfort. The room wasn’t any brighter, but he could see this man as though the dark was a spotlight on him. Dark hair that brushed his collar, silver eyes that glimmered with amusement and something else he couldn’t quite place, and… he was handsome. Mattie couldn’t really put together words for it, but this man was simultaneously the figure that haunted the dreams of those terrified of the dark and the figure he could never remember after a dream that felt too real to have him gasping and writhing afterwards.

The man caught his eyes, a smirk spreading over his lips as he seemed to be able to read Mattie’s thoughts. “How interesting…” The hand that had been tracing down his neck moved to brush his bangs away from Mattie’s face. “Adonis Black.”

It took a moment for his mind to catch up. “Wh-what?”

“My name. You should know what to moan at night.” With that, the man disappeared, leaving the country breathless.

Again, he felt like he was struggling to catch up to the conversation. “H-hey!”

The door behind him jolted forward, knocking him to the ground. “Dude! What are you doing in here? It’s, like, hella dark in here!”

He pushed himself up, searching the now lit room for the man, for a sign that someone else had been there. “I… Where is he? He was just here!”

“Who?”

“…” He didn’t want to tell Alfred the man’s name…. It felt like a betrayal of sorts. Like he was losing something precious if he told someone this secret. _And anyway,_ he thought, _no one would believe me…_ “N-nothing… You… you locked me in…”

“Sorry dude! But you’ve gotta warn me next time!”

“Yeah… Next time…" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I would love to hear what you think! This is unbeta-ed and sort of practice, so if you find any mistakes, please let me know! Please comment or leave kudos if you liked it and let me know what you think!


	2. The First Sleepover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn't think the shadow would go away. He was right, but to find him in his house? That was only the beginning of an evening full of surprises (nearly all of which he completely missed in the moment).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this has already changed from what I thought it was going to be, but I suppose I should have expected that? Ah well, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Mattie sighed, pushing open the door to his room. Another long day. Another annoying outburst from Alfred. Another flattened lung from Ivan sitting on him. He winced, rubbing a hand over what he knew to be a bruised rib. He wanted nothing more than to collapse into his bed and sleep for a decade. But, of course, the moment he began pulling his sweatshirt over his head was the moment he felt those hands again. The slightly cool hands that rested on his chest and drifted over his skin in his dreams. They were on his chest, pulling his t-shirt back into place from where it had ridden up. He jumped, letting out a shriek as he fell back against the closet doors.

“Whoa,” the man – Adonis- said quietly, reaching out to steady him. “Careful.” Mattie yanked his jacket off, his hands twisting into the fabric as he raised his eyes to Adonis’s face.

“How did you get in here?’

The corner of his mouth quirked up in amusement. “I’m a shadow. There’s few places I cannot go.”

Matthew could feel the blood draining from his face. “I… You c-can’t just burst into people’s houses! It’s so invasive…” He turned away and hung his sweatshirt on the back of a chair, hoping that by keeping his hands busy to some extent, he’d be able to speak with some degree of confidence… Or, at least be able to speak without feeling like his head would explode.

The shadow tilted his head. “Is it? I’ve been watching you for quite some time now… It never occurred to me.”

“What?” The question came out as more of a squeak. The idea of this man watching him without him knowing… He felt the familiar flutter in his stomach that he hadn’t felt for quite some time. Fear? Attraction? Did this mean there was something wrong with him that he was somewhat attracted to someone who was essentially stalking him?

“I always watch people. How else would I learn how to terrify my prey?”

He opened his mouth, shut it, then pressed the heels of his hands against his eyes, rubbing as though that would rid him of his tiredness and confusion. “I’m tired, and I don’t know if I’m hearing any of this correctly... Can we come back to that later?” He slipped past Adonis, collapsing onto his bed face-first. He listened closely, but heard nothing, even when he felt the bed dip as Adonis sat beside him.

“What happened?”

The question sounded as though it came more from a place confusion than concern. Mattie was starting to get the impression Adonis didn’t understand emotions outside of fear. “Meeting. Sat on. Tired.” Even speaking felt like it took too much effort. He wanted the tension to go away, but it just seemed to weigh down on him more and more. He pulled a pillow to his chest and buried his face into the soft surface. After a moment, he felt Adonis shift next to him but ignored it. He was too tired to care. Suddenly, he felt something soft settle gently over him. He turned his head to see Adonis carefully tucking the ends of a soft blanket around him, slipping the country's glasses off and setting them aside. “You can… tell me some other day… Sleep…” Mattie could feel himself beginning to drift off, somehow comforted by the presence of this man. The last thing he saw before falling asleep was Adonis lying down beside him, eyes closed, humming softly. His dreams were filled with the moon and shadows and the most beautiful music he had ever heard in his entire life.

When he woke, there was ink on his wrist. One word, scribbled hastily with a pen that was now lying on the nightstand, but distinct enough there was no question who left it.

 

_Mine_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed that chapter! The next one will be much longer, but I hope that it will explain a lot! Please let me know what you think in a comment or leave a kudos if you liked it! Thank you!


	3. Another First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things are progressing, and he's still not quite sure how to read the shadow. That doesn't stop the feelings from developing on either end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, this came out much longer than I thought it would. Still, I hope you enjoy!

He was beginning to get used to Adonis showing up at random times. They had developed an odd sort of friendship where Adonis would try to scare him whenever he could, often stepping out of the shadows or grabbing him when Mattie wasn’t paying attention, but when he was too tired or irritated or in pain from something or another during the day, Adonis would casually suggest they watch a movie or do something fun. It was odd to have him being so kind and understanding, but it was appreciated, especially when contrasted with his more “playful” days of terrifying the country.

Overall, the past few months had been really strange, but so much better than he had ever expected. He was friends with the shadow (who still knew him as Canada, though it wasn’t as odd as he had expected to be), and it was slowly getting to be more and more normal to turn around at home and have Adonis sitting on his bed, flipping through a book idly or standing just behind him, looming. As of today, he hadn’t seen the shadow. He was helping to set up an event at a local summer camp he was fairly certain had been rented out by a nearby church. He didn’t know for certain, but he was setting up a room in the rec building into a sort of immersive storytelling “chamber” (Just how creepy were they trying to make something so cool sound?). He was hanging up a banner, struggling to tape the corners down.

Suddenly, the shadow appeared behind Canada, his lips brushing over the blond’s ear. “Boo.”

Mattie nearly jumped out of his skin, a shriek escaping him as he whirled around to face the figure, dropping the tape that landed with a loud thud. “Adonis!” He squeaked the name indignantly. “Was that necessary?”

The pitch-haired man smirked, raising an eyebrow. “Something wrong?”

The blond’s cheeks flared a deep red. “N-no… I just don’t see why you have to do that every time I’m distracted…”

Adonis stepped closer, his smirk growing ever so slightly. “You’re just…” He gently ran a nail down the shorter man’s neck, “… adorable.”

The country shivered, goosebumps appearing at the shadow’s touch. “W-well, I suppose that’s preferable to being forgotten…” he muttered half to himself. He bent down to pick up the tape and turned to resumed taping the banner.

Adonis frowned, leaning against the wall to try to catch a glimpse of the blond’s face. “Stupid creatures…” His words came out softly, almost too quietly for Mattie to catch. “They always overlook everything truly beautiful…”

Canada bit his lip, shivering as he took a step back. “Y-you shouldn’t be so scornful…

The shadow let out a cold laugh. “You know it’s true. I’d almost say they were all a waste of space.”

Mattie’s teeth clenched as his blood ran hot with a rare spike of anger. Countries were incredibly reliant upon the people who lived there, and to hear something like that from someone he cared so much about… “Shut up! Without them, I’d be dead!” He froze, turning redder than before. “I-I’m sorry… I…”

Adonis waved the apology away. “Don’t be. You should speak up more often. Besides, you’re cute when you’re mad.”

Canada’s head dropped to hide his embarrassment as he took another step back. All at once, he could feel something inside of him crack. “Wh-why do you keep doing that?”

All at once, any playfulness dropped from Adonis’s face. He was dead serious, studying the blond more intensely than he had ever been watched before. “What?”

“Flirting… Most people don’t even realize I’m there, but you seem to only focus on teasing me as much as possible…” He took another step back, pulse picking up.

Adonis smirked, taking another step closer. “Maybe I think you’re worth teasing.”

Mattie glanced behind him, hoping for a door or something so he didn’t feel as cornered, but he was pressed against a wall. “Oh, maple…” Anxiety was starting to spike, making what normally would have been a playful repartee between the two into something that could potentially turn into a full panic attack.

Adonis ran a hand down the country’s side, his steel grey eyes seemed ice cold. “Are you afraid of the dark?” The lights went out.

Canada squeaked in fear, pressing himself to the wall. “This isn’t funny, Adonis.” His eyes searched the darkness frantically in a vain effort to see into the total darkness. He heard a chuckle that came from seemingly nowhere in particular. “Are you afraid?”

He swallowed hard, his heart either beating too fast to feel or not at all. “N-No,” He stated, his voice, however shaky, sounded far too sure for someone who couldn’t feel his fingertips.

Warm breath ghosted over Canada’s ear. “You should be…” a husky voice whispered.

A sound escaped his mouth that didn’t sound quite human. “Wh-why should I be?”

Adonis’s hand trailed down Mattie’s side, as the voice moved closer. “I can be your worst nightmare.” The voice was soft, but the underlying threat was there. However, Mattie picked up on something. The shadow rarely pushed him outside of his comfort zone, with the exception of situations in which he could cause him a fright. He was drawn to the fear, but when someone denied it…

“You don’t seem that scary… well, normally…”

The lights flickered back on, revealing Adonis looking more frustrated than Mattie had ever seen. “Why aren’t you scared? Everyone is scared…”

Canada breathed a sigh of relief, still pressed to the wall. Looking up, he forced himself to meet Adonis’s eyes. “Well, y-you don’t seem like the type to push it too far… You’ve never pushed me too far before…”

Adonis raised an eyebrow. “I like to have fun with my prey before devouring it.” There it was again. He said prey. And he said it with the straightest damn face, too…

Canada eyed an opening to escape. However much he liked being around the shadow, he preferred not being cornered, especially when the shadow was in this sort of a mood… If he was fast enough, he could slip by him and hold the conversation somewhere a little less restricted. “Y-you are rather predatory…

Adonis laughed. “Observant one, are you? Good. It makes the chase more fun.” With that, the shadow vanished.

Mattie frowned in disappointment. “Adonis? Where did you go?” He took a few steps forward, almost as if that would reveal him. “Adonis?”

“Yes?” Just behind him.

He whirled, trying to calm his heard rate. “Why did you disappear?”

The shadow shrugged. “Why does it matter to you?”

Canada couldn’t stop his cheeks from darkening. “It just does, okay?” He had no idea how to explain what he as feeling, and even if he did, he wouldn’t be sure how Adonis would respond.

Adonis studied him a moment. “Interesting,” he murmured, reaching forward to tuck a lock of hair behind Mattie’s ear.

He looked away, his heart beating faster. “Just… stop disappearing, okay?” He didn’t tell Adonis to stop scaring him. As much as that would probably ease his anxiety, there was a playfulness to that. It was almost like children trying to scare each other during Halloween. Despite the fear that still gripped his throat occasionally, there was an undercurrent of excitement. And, damnit, he didn’t want to lose that.

Adonis smirked, leaning closer. “Why should I listen to you?”

Canada shrugged. “Why not?” he whispered, eyes still lowered. “You don’t always have to do the opposite…”

“I like to play with people… to manipulate and mess with them, therefore, I do the opposite of their desires.”

He raised his head, looking up at Adonis. “But… if it hurts your… prey… where’s the fun?” He was so uncomfortable with that word. Prey. It made it seem like Adonis had no capacity for human emotion. That he was just a predator.

His face seemed to close off, any emotions that Mattie had been able to see was gone in an instant. “I don’t care about my prey. After all, they always die in the end,” the shadow stated in an icy voice.

Hurt flashed over Mattie’s face before he dropped his head again. “So… I’m just part of a game to you… I-I see…” The past few months flashed through him mind, all of the evenings they spent together, watching movies, the days they went for walks through parks, days spent just talking and being near each other… Was it all just a ploy to…

Adonis stilled, something flashing over his eyes. “Did you expect more?”

His chest began to ache as his heart seemed to crack. He turned away, frustrated with the way tears were gathering in his eyes. “Honestly, I don’t even know. I… I thought we were friends at least? But whatever… I should have known…” The shadow stepped forward, placing a hand on Canada’s shoulder, as if to say something, but nothing came. He pulled in on himself, his hands gripping his sleeves as a child does when cold. The tears were starting to fall, just aggravating his frustration with himself. He cursed quietly, swiping at the tears as if that would help. He knew why it hurt so much. He was forgotten so much, even by the man that he knew as his father. The idea that this man had seen something in him, something that caught his eye, and wanted to spend time with him… to be his friend…

And none of that mattered. He was just some plaything. So, yeah, he was in pain. And those fucking tears just wouldn’t stop…

The shadow’s eyes widened, panic showing through as his grip on Mattie’s shoulder tightened. “Es tut mir leid…” The sentence came out almost too quietly to hear.

The country raised his head in confusion, tears still clinging to his lashes. “Wh-what?” It had almost sounded like…

“N-nothing. It… it doesn’t matter…” The cold demeanor was completely gone, cracks showing through of panic and something that was close to fear. He let go of Canada, turning away almost as if he were going to disappear.

Before he could stop himself, Mattie jolted forward and grabbed Adonis’s hand. “Wh-why wouldn’t it m-matter?”

Adonis’s eyes widened as he froze, staring down at the blond. “I-it just doesn’t…”

Canada’s grip tightened slightly, his hands trembling. “P-please…” He didn’t want him to leave. He wasn’t sure the shadow would return if he did leave, and he didn’t want to be left alone.

Adonis hesitated a moment before grabbing the country, crushing the smaller man to his chest, his voice sounding rough. “I’m sorry…”

Canada clung to him, trembling. He was shocked, to say the least. The shadow was always so cool and put together, yet he seemed to be as close to breaking down as Mattie himself was. He buried his face in Adonis’s chest. “I-it’s okay,” he whispered.

“No… It’s not…” The shadow rubbed the trembling man’s back. “You are… so important… so much more than someone’s prey…”

Mattie pulled back, keeping his eyes on the ground, still shaking slightly. “I… I’m not… Most people forget I even exist…”

“Tch.” He lifted Canada’s chin, the corners of his mouth turning up. “Idiot.”

His eyes widened. “I am not!”

“So you don’t seem to be. If I remember correctly, you’re Canada?” Now he was teasing. Mattie couldn’t deny it was nice to have Adonis acting more normally, but…

“M-Matthew…”

The shadow’s head tilted slightly. “What?”

His cheeks were on fire. “You can call me Matthew… That’s my real name… Well, my human name at least…” His words came out quietly. For a moment, he was almost afraid Adonis hadn’t heard him.

“I see.” A slow, soft smile spread over the ebony-haired man’s face. “I like it.”

He ducked his head in embarrassment. “I-I’m glad…”

“Are you still scared?”

Looking back up at the shadow, he smiled. “No…” A genuine smile spread over Adonis’s face as his eyes seemed to light up. Matthew blushed, not taking his eyes from the man’s face. “I… I like it when you smile…”

His face dropped in confusion. “I’m smiling?”

Canada frowned, tilting his head. “You… don’t smile often, do you?”

“Not that I remember...” he sighed, his arms tightening slightly around the smaller man.

“Well… I’m glad you are now…”

“What do you mean?”

“I… I’m glad you have a reason to smile and… I’m glad… I’m the reason…” His cheeks were beginning to feel as though his head would burst into flames at any moment. Luckily (?), the shadow’s cheeks flushed too. Adonis Black was blushing for the first time in his entire existence. “I… I know it sounds strange… But… I think I trust you more than half the people I know…” He let out a nervous laugh, beginning to ramble. “I mean, how odd does that make me? You constantly tease me and try to scare me, but... I dunno. Just being near you make me… happy…”

Adonis was silent a moment, watching Mattie with soft eyes. “Are you scared?”

“No…” Mattie smiled, shaking his head. “Not anymore…”

The soft smile returned. “I’m glad…”

Matthew hesitated, feeling a bit of the tension leech back into his body. They were so close… Would Adonis do it? What would he do if he did? Would he return it, or would he just panic? Oh god, would Mattie faint if he did?

Adonis poked Canada’s nose.

All of his thoughts came screeching to a halt. “W-why? What was that for?” Was the shadow serious? Why had he essentially “booped” his nose?

“So I can catch you off guard,” he stated simply before leaning in and pressing his lips to Mattie’s. The blond stiffened in surprise before wrapping his arms around Adonis’s neck, pulling him closer. He felt like he was going to burst into a million of those fluttery little butterflies that seemed to inhabit his stomach. All too soon, Adonis pulled away, searching Mattie’s face for any sign that this wasn’t what he wanted. “Are you afraid…?”

“No,” he whispered with a smile, pulling Adonis down to press his lips against the shadow’s again. Adonis pulled the country closer, as if he would never let go. When they finally pulled away, they kept their arms firmly around one another.

Adonis ran his hands down Mattie’s sides, resting his chin on top of the country’s head. “Mine… I’ll never let you go…”

Canada’s arms had slipped around Adonis’s waist, and his forehead was resting against the shadow’s chest. He let out a small, almost bitter laugh. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.” His face heated as he realized what he had said. Was he serious? Did he want this? The arms around him tightened and he knew, yes, he did want this. More than anything in the entire world.

“Then take it as a vow.” He pressed a kiss to the top of the country’s head. “I never understood…”

“Hmm?”

“How those idiots can never see you for… well, you… They all think that you’re that… loud one…”

He laughed, shaking his head slightly. “I’m used to it…”

“Well… I’ll just have to change that.”

“Thank you…”

“Anything, anytime, love…”

Mattie’s face reddened, but hearing that? The simple endearment that probably meant nothing to the shadow… It was wonderful…

“Matthew…” Why did his name sound so different coming from the shadow’s lips? “I’m sorry about earlier… I shouldn’t have…”

“It’s okay, Adonis… Really…”

He let out a sigh. “No. It’s not…”

Canada pulled back slightly, taking Adonis’s face in his hands. “Yes, it is. I… I don’t know why but I’m not mad… I can’t be mad at you…” The shadow’s eyes widened. It seemed like the shadow wasn’t use to kindness… It broke Mattie’s heart. “I… I have to finish up here, but… Can we talk after I’m done? I… I want to know what… where this is going…”

The shadow’s face fell in confusion. “Where this is going? I thought-”

Mattie kissed him, stopping the words. “It’ll only take a few minutes… Please?”

The shadow smiled slowly. “Fine… Can I help?”

Why did he get the feeling that this was the beginning of a very long road?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Please let me know what you thought! It makes me so happy to see comments!


	4. First Official Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the confession, the only reasonable next step would be to go on a date, right? Well, things aren't as simple as that when a country starts dating a shadow. Still, Mattie would be lying if he said it wasn't a little thrilling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! So, I'm not done writing with these two, but I figured that the other stories would be sort of a longer, ongoing thing that requires their own work. So, this is the second to last "chapter" of How This All Began! Enjoy!

Their conversation wasn't the most productive thing in the world. Mattie wanted to discuss what the relationship was, where it was going, figure out what exactly Adonis was thinking. The shadow was... preoccupied. He kept running his hands over the country’s arms, stroking his hair, studying his face with soft eyes. Mattie wasn’t going to say anything about it, but when Adonis began gently tracing his fingers over Mattie’s cheeks then eyes, he had to say something.

“A-adonis… Are you even paying atten-” The fingers ghosted over his lips. His breath caught as Adonis leaned forward, smirking.

“You’re… so lovely… I… can’t believe how lucky I am…” He pressed his lips to Mattie’s, just once, softly, before pulling away, leaving him breathless. “I don’t know what this is, where it’s going, or really… how to do any of this…” He leaned his forehead against the blond’s, closing his eyes. “I won’t be perfect at this… I’m going to mess up… so fucking much… But I want to try. I want to do this with you…”

_Oh God…_ Mattie thought, barely able to stop himself for launching himself at the shadow, _He’s perfect… How did I manage to catch his eye at all?_

“Matti? Are you listening?” The smirk grew, almost as if the shadow could tell what Mattie was thinking.

“Y-yes…” He stammered, biting his lip.

“So… What do you say to a first date?”

His eyes widened. “R-really? Y-yes!” The ebony-haired man stood suddenly, tugging on Matthew’s hand. “W-wait, now? Seriously?”

“Of course. Now is as good a time as any.”

Oh no…

 

* * *

 

 

Adonis was not happy. At least, that’s what Mattie was gathering from the crossed arms and closed-off expression. He couldn’t help stealing glances at the shadow as he drove, anxiety rising. “Are… Are you okay?”

“Why are we travelling like this?” the shadow demanded, his tone brusque, not angry, but agitated.

Mattie frowned in confusion. “It’s… the easiest way to travel longer distances when public transportation isn’t available?”

Adonis raised an eyebrow. “Maybe for you.”

“Well, how would you suggest we travel then?”

“Do you trust me?”

Why did that sound like a loaded question? Mattie sighed, resigning himself to experiencing whatever it was Adonis had in store for the two of them. Did he trust the shadow? Probably more than he should, but that didn’t mean that this wasn’t a little scary. “Yes. I do…”

His smirk grew. “Pull over.”

Was it the middle of the night? Yes. Were they in the middle of nowhere? Yes. Was he scared? I mean, it was probably more nervous than anything, but it was bad enough that his hands began shaking. He swallowed, pulling the car onto the side of the road, parking it and turning to Adonis. “O-okay… Now what?”

Adonis took Mattie’s hand, pressing a kiss to the back of it. “Calm down, love. Now, close your eyes.” He nodded, obeying. Adonis leaned over the center console, one hand tracing up Mattie’s arm. Even with his eyes closed, he could tell that something felt… weird. His seatbelt seemed to disappear, and he was suddenly standing beside the shadow, pressed into his side. “Okay… We’re here.” Mattie opened his eyes, disoriented. They were suddenly standing outside, surrounded by trees. Adonis was watching his face. “Your car is back in your driveway.” He held out the keys, waiting while Canada slipped them into his pocket.

“That was… really thoughtful… Thank you… But… where are we?”

Adonis took a deep breath, pulling Mattie along a path, only to stop and glance back at him. “I… I know it limits us that I prefer night… But I thought that it would give us a chance to…” He paused, cheeks reddening as he searched for the words. Mattie watched him, feeling his chest tighten. The shadow was always so reserved, but when it came to their quiet moment, or moments when Adonis thought that Matthew couldn’t see him or wasn’t paying attention, all of those walls dropped. Those were the moments Mattie liked to watch him, seeing the softness in his eyes that he didn’t usually allow people to see. In the dim moonlight, Adonis looked even more like the hero of a black and white film than normal.

“Adonis?” The shadow turned to look at him, his eyes still distant. “Are you alright?”

He smiled tensely. “Yeah… I thought that this would give us a chance to talk and…Just spend time together, I suppose?” He seemed distracted. “Is… Is this okay?”

Mattie moved closer, sliding his arms around Adonis’s neck to pull him down into a kiss. “It’s perfect, Adonis… No matter what it is, it will be perfect.” Their lips met in a soft kiss before Mattie pulled back slightly. “So, what exactly do you have planned? I just know it’s going to be wonderful.”

Adonis’s face went blank for a moment before it lit up. That seemed to be just the confidence boost he needed. “It’ll be a surprise.” He lifted Mattie into his arms, pressing a kiss to the tip of his nose. “Are you afraid?” The question came out jokingly as he began walking, stepping through the trees as though he took this route a million times in the past.

He giggled, resting his head against Adonis’s shoulder. “No. Not at all…”

After a few moments, they came to a break in the trees. Clearly, this was a place that was man-made, an attempt at making a clearing filled with flowers. It was beautiful but had an artificial feel to it that wasn’t quite right. “I found this place some time ago. A woman was keeping it like this in hopes that she could have a wedding ceremony here one day.” Adonis’s voice was distant, as if he were reliving something from years ago. “She wasn’t very good at it. Didn’t understand what would fit the feel of the clearing or how to keep it up. One day, she just stopped coming back. I tried to find out what happened, but the only thing I could find was an abandoned house. She never came back, so… I sort of took over. It’s a long process to let the natural plants take over, but it’s going better than expected.” He set Mattie down, letting the country wander, studying the clearing.

“How long ago was this? It seems so… familiar…”

“This isn’t far from where you live actually. Well, by my terms. It was… before I began watching you, but after Francis meeting Lucifer…”

Mattie’s eyes lit up. “Oh! I actually remember when that was! So… I suppose she must have died…” He pressed his lips together, sighing. “She must not have had her wedding then… How sad… Do you remember her name?”

The shadow frowned. He hadn’t expected this to be the response to the clearing. He thought Mattie would think it was romantic, not question him on some girl who didn’t get a wedding. “It was… Nova, I believe. Terrified of heights and the unknown. Not very interesting but scaring her was a way to pass time.”

“Nova…” He was silent for a moment. “I hope she finds what she was looking for in another life… It would be a shame if she never got to live her dream…” He lifted his eyes and gasped, catching sight of the stars through the opening in the tree canopy. “Wow…”

_Finally,_ the shadow thought, sighing. _I shouldn’t have brought her up. I should have known that he would take that to heart._

“The view is so… beautiful…” Mattie breathed, absently walking forward to stare up at the stars.

Adonis smiled, his eyes never leaving Mattie’s face. “Yeah… It is…” Was that the most cliché thing he could have said in the moment? Yes, but did he mean it with every fiber of his being? Oh yes. He walked forward, wrapping his arms around the blond. “The most beautiful view in the universe.” Mattie leaned into the shadow’s chest, smile growing with every passing second.

“This is wonderful…Oh! Could we…” He bit his lip, looking up at Adonis with wide eyes. “I’ve always wanted to… to lay under the stars…”

Adonis’s smile grew, his eyes shining with fondness. “If that would make you happy, love…” He drew Mattie to the center of the clearing, lowering both of them until they were lying on the ground. He drew him close, cushioning the blond’s head on his arm and running his fingers through those starlight strands. Canada’s smile was radiant as his eyes flickered between the shadow’s face and the sky above them.

“This is so… wonderful… It feels like something from a movie…”

“Is… is that a good thing?”

Mattie traced the line of Adonis’s jaw idly, sighing happily. “The best…

They laid there for hours, talking and pointing out the constellations they knew, making up ones where they didn’t. After a while, they laid in comfortable silence. Once the sky began to lighten, Adonis turned to ask if Mattie wanted to leave, only to find the smaller man had fallen asleep, curled against his side. The shadow smiled, carefully lifting him into his arms. Transporting them back into the country’s house, he carefully tucked him into his bed, pressing a kiss to his forehead.

He drew back, studying him for a moment. “So this is what it's like to have emotions…” He murmured, slowly disappearing into the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! The next one will be the last in this particular grouping, but not the last with these characters or this universe. The next will be another first, but a little more... mature? Just a warning, the rating will go up! Thanks for reading! Please comment or leave kudos if you liked it!


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